To keep your preschoolers active this September, here are six activities to incorporate into your homeschool if you want to mix things up a little!
Sensing Wildflowers
Late summer and early fall flowers should be in bloom at this time of year. Take your little ones outside and search your yard, neighborhood and local parks seeking out different flowers. Pick and bring home five different seasonal flowers. When you get home line them up and have your child explore each of them with several of their senses. What do each of them smell like? What colors are they? How do each of them feel? Review the five senses and discuss the senses of sight, touch and smell as you interact with the flowers.
Backyard Textures
Hand your child a white sheet of copy paper and a crayon and head outside. Have them search for as many different textures that they can find that will fit on their paper. A leaf, a piece of bark, grass or a stick. Let them be creative. Once they have found several items, have them place the items, one at a time under the paper. Have your child make a rubbing of each item. See how many different rubbings they can fit on their paper.
Let’s Go Shopping
Number ten brown paper grocery bags with a permanent marker one through ten. Set them up in a row and tell your child that they will be going shopping today. Tell them that they will need to read the number on each bag and find different items for each bag. Bag one will have one item, bag two will have two items and so on. This activity not only helps with counting and number recognition but it will keep them running around the house searching for items until the activity is done.
Mother May I?
Play this classic game indoors or out to keep your child active. Introduce this game to your child by telling him that he may ask to do something fun such as, “spin like a helicopter three times,” or “take four large steps.” Give him several examples and then explain to him that you will either answer, “yes,” or “no.” If you answer, “no,” then you will tell him what he may do instead. Instead of taking four large steps you might say he may take four baby steps, or two large steps. Make sure he begins the game far away from you, such as by a tree across the yard or at the other end of the room. As he completes each fun action he moves closer and closer to you. Once he reaches you, he wins.
Acorn Painting
If you live in an area with oak trees, use acorns for activity. If not, any type of nut will work. Take a bucket outside and have your child fill the bucket up at least halfway with acorns. When you head home, cover a table with newspaper or butcher paper. Take out several colors of washable paint and a paintbrush. Have your child paint the caps of the acorns different colors and set them on the newspaper, making sure they do not touch one another so they can dry. Once dry, in a glass bowl, jar or vase for a centerpiece or mantle decoration.
Sound Hike
Take your child on a “hike,” either in your backyard or throughout your house searching for as many different sounds as possible. Either have your child close their eyes or blindfold them as you guide them along on a “hike.” Stop every so often and encourage your child to pinpoint any sounds that they might hear. Is there a bird chirping in the distance? A cicada buzzing in the tree? Encourage them to find at least five or more sounds on their own.
